Buses get rolling at St. Paul's refurbished Union Depot

Monday was the first day of service for Jefferson Lines buses at the Union Depot in St. Paul, the carrier’s new headquarters. The depot will also serve as the terminus for the Central Corridor light rail.

"All aboard!" echoed at St. Paul's newly refurbished Union Depot on Monday, as Jefferson Lines buses started operating out of the downtown transit hub.

The carrier has moved its Twin Cities headquarters from the Midway Amtrak depot to Union Depot, which reopened last month as a regional hub after a $243 million renovation that took two years. Amtrak is expected to follow suit later this year.

The restored depot is expected to become an anchor of redevelopment in downtown St. Paul, along with the arrival of the Central Corridor light-rail line next year and the new Saints ballpark planned for 2015. The depot will be the terminus for the light-rail line.

Metro Transit buses began service at the depot last month, with a weekday schedule of 300 arrivals and departures. Jefferson has a daily schedule of 18 arrivals and departures to cities in the Midwest.